Wichita eagle., 1887-12-10
A GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPH.

| ment assuming control of the telegraph
! service of the country, or at least of es-.
tablishing telegraph system in connec-
ton with the postal service seems to be
attracting the attention of the news
papers of the country and is being dis
cussed quite extensively, very many ia
voring the proposition upon the theory
that it would give the people generally
cheaper rates for their private business
and the press better facilities for obtain
/ ing news and at less cost to publishers.
| We have heretofore briefly referred TO
the matter and expressed disapproval of
the scheme because we think it imprac-
/ ticable for the accomplishment of the
ends claimed for it. a correspondent of
the Chicago Times discusses the question
III extenso in that paper and very clearly
points out many Of the more objection
| able features, a part of which we submit
| herewith.
The low rates so glibly claimed in con-
nection with this scheme are not low
rates in reality. for wherever govern
ment telegrapils have been tried large
annual deficit is shown and the people
pay it in taxes. In other words, the
/ boards OF trade. stock exchanges and
spectators generally pay part of the
cost of each telegram they send. the re-
mainder being collected Gn taXatiOn)
/ from the farmer. tradesInan. and others
who rarely have occasion to use the tele-
graph at all.
England has tried this experiment for
seventeen years, and the last official re-
port Of its postmaster general shows an
increasing annual deficit for seven wears.
which last year reached S2,349, 200. He
adds: ''NOtwithstandi ding the rapid salts
factory growth of the telegraph business
/ the expenses of the service far exceed
the receipts" 1t appears. then, that
whatever other advantages d government
telegraph might bring, economy is not
one Of them.
The following comparisons are taken
from the last official reports OF the post
Western Union Telegraph company
alone. not including its late purchase Of
the Baltimore & Ohio Telegraph com
pany: Great Britain, 29S95 miles of
poles: Western Union. 1854 miles Of
poles; Great Britain. 1888 miles of
wires; Western Union. 524, 641 miles of
wires: Great Britain, 6,j14 Offices to sup
port, including railway stations: West
ern Union, 3D. JS Offices TO support, i'll
Guiding railway stations.
The dense population, immense com
merce. and strict laws of Great Britain
forbidding trespas5ing upon railway
grounds (along which nearly all tele-
graph lines are constructed all favor not
only large telegraph traffic, but much
cheaper maintenance than is the case in
this country. and if, with all these advan-
| tagcs, and their telegraph plant so much
| less extensive than ours, their annual
deficit is nearly two and half million
dollars what would ours, with its long
lines OF communication to be kept up
through comparatively thinly-populated
regions, he: Bearing in mind that the
annual deficit in our postofiice depart
ment proper is already over $4,000, eco,
can we afford to increase it as much as
this government telegraph scheme
would require:
1t ma, be asked, if the Western Union
can handle the telegraph business of this
country without loss, why the govern
ment can not.
Many other reasons could be given, but
private enterprises are always watched
closer and conducted with more econo-
my than are those, of governments.
The telegraph itself was q success
in England under control of prjvate
corporations, but certainly can not be so
considered now financially. nor as to its
service. if the statements Of the liza j0rity
of American business men who have
used the telegraph there are correct.
Take our present mail service Each
railroad has a different contract for lis
haul. Each transfer point has another
contractor to transfer it from depot to
depot, and it finally reaches the post.
Office III q contractors wagon. II our
mail service today was in the hands of
private corporations. does anyone doubt
that it would be vastly improved?
Ii the telegraph service of this country
is ever monopoIized by the government.
il will be handled by contractors: not
simply for the benefit Of their health.
bat to make AL the money out of it they
can, and the taxpayers. who use the tel
egraph least, viii foot the bills.
Our government has donated lands ana
even money IN some instances TO AID in
the Development Of new country. but the
brains TO plan and energy to carry
through all of oar great enter
prises have invariably been furnish
ed by private corporations, with
perhaps the single exception
Of our great navy. Probably an equal
expenditure upon a government tele-
graph might make it an equal success.
The cry of monopoly raised against
the Western Union is false. because it is
not q monopoly according to the diction-
aries and foolish. because each would-be
rival ,hat ii gobbles adds to its facilities